Fair elections and participation of voters are the foundation of democracy: Governor Shri Patel

Governor Shri Mangubhai Patel said that a free and fair election system, along with active voter participation, forms the cornerstone of democracy. He appreciated the Election Commission for its commendable efforts in this regard. The Governor also urged the commission to focus on increasing voter turnout by identifying and addressing low-voting centers. Governor Patel made these remarks while addressing the 15th National Voter’s Day program held at the Kushabhau Thackerey Auditorium on Saturday. During the event, he administered the Voter’s Day oath to the citizens present in the programme.

Governor Shri Mangubhai Patel honoured officers, employees, and competition winners for their outstanding contributions to the election process. EPIC cards were distributed to new voters, and the Governor inaugurated a photo exhibition organized by the Commission. The programme also featured a video message from Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar.

Governor Shri Mangubhai Patel highlighted that in 52 districts of the state, women’s voter registration has surpassed that of men, reflecting the growing inclusivity of democracy. He urged the Election Commission to identify polling booths with consistently low voter turnout, engage with the local population to understand the reasons, and raise awareness about the significance of voting rights. He also called for innovative efforts to boost voter participation in these areas.

Governor Shri Mangubhai Patel praised the Election Commission for effectively utilizing information technology to resolve 99.9 percent of applications received during the Summary Review Program-2025 online. He credited this achievement to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visionary Digital India initiative. The Governor lauded the unprecedented participation of voters, especially women and differently abled voters, in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He expressed gratitude to the people of the state, voters, and the Election Commission team for their efforts in strengthening democracy.

Every eligible voter should participate in the election process

Governor Shri Patel emphasized the importance of a pure and complete voter list for ensuring a free and fair election process. He urged every eligible voter to actively participate in elections and exercise their right to vote with fairness and fearlessness. He noted that maintaining the integrity of the electoral process is not only the responsibility of the Election Commission but also a collective duty of all citizens.

Governor Shri Patel urged the Election Commission to encourage voters to rise above misconceptions and discrimination based on caste, religion, language, or region when exercising their right to vote. He emphasized educating voters about the importance of fulfilling their constitutional duties by electing capable and ethical candidates. Governor Shri Patel said that such actions are essential for the nation’s progress toward becoming a developed country, instilling a sense of pride in voters.

Officers honoured for Lok Sabha elections and voter revision

Governor Shri Mangubhai Patel honoured several officials for their outstanding contributions to the successful conduct of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Among those recognized were: Collector and District Election Officer Jhabua, Smt. Neha Meena, Collector and District Election Officer Ratlam, Shri Rajesh Batham and Collector and District Election Officer Ashoknagar, Shri Subhash Kumar Dwivedi for successfully conducting elections. Bhopal Collector and District Election Officer, Shri Kaushalendra Vikram Singh and Gwalior Collector and District Election Officer, Smt. Ruchika Chauhan for innovation and excellence in SVEEP activities. Shivpuri Collector and District Election Officer, Shri Ravindra Kumar Chaudhary, and Superintendent of Police, Shri Aman Singh Rathore, former Collector and District Election Officer of Sheopur, Shri Lokesh Kumar Jangid, and Superintendent of Police, Shri Abhishek Anand and Bhind Collector and District Election Officer, Shri Sanjeev Srivastava, and Superintendent of Police, Shri Asit Yadav for ensuring excellent law and order. Additionally, Inspector General of Police, Law and Order and Security, and State Police Nodal Officer, Shri Anshuman Singh, was honoured for his exemplary work in maintaining law and order at the state level during the elections.

Similarly, for excellent work in SVEEP activities, the then Additional Director General of Police of Shahdol Zone, Shri D.C. Sagar and the Collector and District Election Officer of Narmadapuram, Sushri Sonia Meena were honoured with the Special Category Award for IT Initiative and SVEEP activities.

Collector and District Election Officer of Alirajpur, Shri Abhay Arvind Bedekar and Deputy District Election Officer Sushri Priyanshi Bhanwar, Collector and District Election Officer of Raisen, Shri Arvind Dubey and Deputy District Election Officer, Shri Manish Sharma, Collector and District Election Officer of Datia, Shri Sandeep Kumar Makin and Deputy District Election Officer, Smt. Bhumija Saxena were honored for their excellent work in Special Summary Review 2025.

Among the Electoral and Assistant Registration Officers who performed excellent work in the Special Summary Review 2025, Electoral Registration Officer Shri Saurabh Mishra and Assistant Electoral Registration Officer Shri Bharat Singh Mandle of Raisen Silwani, Electoral Registration Officer Shri Santosh Tiwari and Assistant Electoral Registration Officer Shri Sunil Prabhas of Datia Bhander, Electoral Registration Officer Shri Ajay Sharma and Assistant Electoral Registration Officer Shri Kalpana Sharma of Shivpuri Karera were honoured.

Similarly, the BLOs who were honoured for their excellent work in the Special Summary Revision 2025 were Shri Ghanshyam Chauhan of polling station number 177-Chhachhkuan District Dhar, Shri Tola Ram Ninama of polling station number 43- Madhyamik Vidyalaya Somarundikala District Ratlam, Shri Arun Kumar Panika of polling station number 223-Siddikhurd District Singrauli, Shri Dharmendra Kumar Tiwari of polling station number 326-Kushmhan Kala District Umaria, Shri Jayant Kumar Vishwakarma of polling station number 183-Ambedkar Ward District Sagar, Shri Manish Keer of polling station number 135-Bhojpur District Raisen, Smt. Seema Soni of polling station number 81-Harda District Harda and Shri Manish Jain of polling station number 167-Dixitpura District Jabalpur.

Deputy District Election Officer Shri Rajesh Yadav, Section Officer Smt. Anukriti Mishra, Assistant Section Officer Smt. Sujata Chincholkar, Assistant Programmer Shri Pravas Jain and Programmer Shri Vinay Deshmukh of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer were honoured for their excellent work in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Summary Review 2025.

Winners of essay competition honoured

Governor Shri Patel awarded first prize to Shri Rajneesh Tripathi of Government Holkar Science College Indore, selected in the essay competition organized on “Vote jaisa kuch nahin, vote zaroor dalenge hum” at the district level on the occasion of 15th National Voters’ Day, second prize to Sushri Srishti Tiwari of Government Sanjay Gandhi Smriti Mahavidyalaya, Ganjbasoda Vidisha and third prize to Shri Mayank Vishwakarma of Pradhan Mantri College of Excellence, Government Autonomous Post Graduate College Chhindwara.

Governor Shri Patel distributed EPIC cards to new voters Kushagre Sen, Abhilasha Kesariya, Akriti Luitel, Rishi Srivastava, and Gaurav Jat.

Chief Electoral Officer Shri Sukhveer Singh welcomed Governor Shri Patel with a bouquet of flowers and felicitated him by presenting a shawl and a memento. Shri Singh also gave detailed information about the Lok Sabha elections 2024 and the Voter Review Program 2025.

Collector Bhopal Kaushendra Vikram Singh proposed the vote of thanks. Secretary of State Election Commission Shri Abhishek Singh, Bhopal Division Commissioner Shri Sanjeev Singh, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Shri Rajesh Kaul, State Icon Shri Rajiv Verma, Shri Govind Namdev, Smt. Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya, Sushri Sanjana Singh and Sushri Deshna Jain were present on the stage in the programme.